Seattle boasts Nobel-winning protein designers. World-class cancer researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. AI-powered enzyme engineering that reaches 1.8 billion consumers. Yet when it comes time to scale those breakthroughs into commercial products, local companies often ship the work overseas.
A federal panel heard that story loud and clear this week. The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology brought its members to Seattle on Tuesday for a forum with industry leaders. Their message to Washington, D.C.: the science lives here. The factories and trained workers that turn discoveries into products do not. And that mismatch now carries national security weight.